Wednesday, 24 July 2013

Kickstarter Update #8 Preview: Places of Interest

Once again thank you to everyone who has either backed this project or at least spread the word about, you guys are awesome for doing so.

Still a ways off but if we continue to promote the project we'll get there.

But in the mean time, here is another preview from the book.

~

Places of Interest

The Chillwynd Marches

A completely flat plain lying to the far north, its boundaries are marked by a ring of standing stones. Rumoured to be a haunted place, the voices of the dead are said to be heard whispering on the chill wind. Small mining settlements and ancient ruins lie scattered across the plains, though despite the potential fortune, most folk tend to steer clear. The heart of the Marches is dominated by a towering city known as the Monolith. Believed to have been the capital of some long since forgotten empire, its ice bound streets and halls remain uninhabited. Only tomb raiders and curious explorers dare travel here, however, those who do return, are forever scarred by their experience and quickly flee elsewhere.

The Monolith

Standing forlornly in the dead centre of the Chillwynd Marches, sits the Monolith, a ruined mountain city carved by unknown hands a great many eons ago. Towering high into the sky, its great spire can be seen for miles around; however, its interior is largely unexplored. The carvings that adorn the exterior are believed to have taken decades to complete, but centuries of neglect and exposure to the harsh northern elements have weathered and worn the stonework. Much of the surviving carvings can be found in the more sheltered parts, but even these aren't untouched, having been crudely defaced at some point.

Very few people have ventured far into the ruins, with only the outlying areas having been combed over by relic hunters. Even fewer have tried climbing up into the spire. Those who have report it as being akin to a palace....though admittedly one that has been thoroughly desecrated with strange glyphs covering every possible surface. There is evidence that the structure descends some distance underground, though hardly anyone has dared brave these tunnels. Of those who have, none have returned.

The Maw

More of a roaming storm than a fixed point, much of the year this tempest stays out over the Frostbracken Wastes. Only during the winter months does it expand south over the Bastion Peaks, shutting down the northern routes. Some of the older and superstitious aviators refer to the storm as being akin to a living beast, but only in low whispers and with a nervous glance over their shoulder. The Maw is certainly a wild thing, winds howl as dark clouds boil and rage. There is little escape for those who get caught in its grasp, the countless wrecks that litter the Bastion Peaks attest to this.

When the Maw hungers it is best to keep your feet on Terra Firma.

The MacHorne Trail

Little more than a long canyon, the MacHorne Trail is the sole overland route between Alyeska and the rest of the Commonwealth. Primarily it was used by wagons during the summertime when it was first discovered. Naturally, when the railway arrived, it was along the MacHorne that it came. During winter, it often gets blocked by snow drifts.